



139 A^ 



IWIVI 



003 A69 



F 158 
.8 

.P7 U5 
Copy 1 



CALLENDER IRVINE. 



RELATIVE TO THE s 



PUBLIC BUILDIAXiS O.V THE SCHUYLlClLJ: 



'vcrompanying a letter iVom the Secretary of War, re- 
, ceived the l5th of February, 1805. 



SiiperinteiK^anfs Office, PhiladdpJiia, \ 
Mh February, 1 80 j. S 



SIR, 



I have ihe honor to enclose you an estimate 
of the probable expense of finishing the South 
building on the Banks of Schuylkill, on a tiimilar 
plan with the North building, a ground plot of 
which accompanies the estimate ; but if this build- 
ing is to be occupied merely as a store house, a 
less sum will complete it than what is stated in the 
estimate, as plastering may, in the latter case, be 
dispensed with. 

I have examined the buildings on Schuylkill 
as particularly as the inclemency of the season 
will permit, and find that some alterations and ad- 
ditions will be indispensably requisite, in order to 
secure the public property, and buildings supposed 
to be already finished. The roofs of the east and 
west buildings, both of which contain great quan- 
tities of valuable property, are very leaky, so much 



so as to endanger the property contained in them, 
and must ultimately injure the buildings them- 
selves unless repaired. The amount required for 
th'.s purpose is embraced in the estimate — Mr. 
Jackson, who furnished the enclosed estimate, is 
ofo[)inion that the roofs leaking is in consequence 
of the heavy balustrades on them, and that it may 
be prevented without taking off the shingles. 

In order to prevent the water which falls from 
the buildings in time of heavy rains, sinking im- 
mediately down the cellar walls, in consequence of 
which the cellars that contain the salt petre, sul- 
phur, 8^c. are rendered damp, it will be necessary 
to ])ave round the buildings, and make gutters to 
carry the water entirely off the lot ; it will also be 
necessary to make gutters round the walls that 
form the shot beds, that are evidently receiving in- 
[urvfrom the water sinkinfi; down them. 

The south side of the wall enclosing the ma- 
gazine ought to be raised five or six feet, it is not 
now sufticiently higli to prevent ill disposed boys, 
or men, from climbing over, and the magazine 
from its low situation near the river, is rendered so 
damp as to make it necessary to open it every fine 
day, in order to prevent tlie powder receiving in- 
jury. There are a number of frame buildings novv^ 
occupied by the labourers at the arsenal, originally 
built for the accommodation of those who super- 
intended, as well as those who worked at the pub- 
lic buildings, which ought, in my opinion, to be 
removed ; they are so situated that if they were to 
take fire, (to which I conceive them extremely lia- 
ble) all the public property on the Schuylkill would 
be endangered. 

A shed to protect from the weather, cannon, 
particularly those mounted, is much wanted— the 
materials in those frame buddings I have just stat- 



V ^^,^ 5 

cd ought to be removed, might be appropriated for 
this purpose, but this is not included in the esti- 
mate forwarded, nor is the raising the wall round 
the magazine, but I conceive them both necessary. 

It is absolutely necessary that the building 
should be enclosed by a fence or wall^ otherwise 
cannon shot, and such property as is not usually 
secured by lock, are liable to be injured or carried 
away by ill disposed persons. 

The stone foundation to the fence I contem- 
plate erecting round the lot is indispensable, from 
the ground being raised so much higher than it 
was in its natural state, the frost would Vv^ork out 
any thing made from wood, or even stone, unless 
the work is sunk at least two feet below the origi- 
nal foundation. 

I hope to furnish you with the inventory oi 
property on hand in a few days ; it would have 
accompanied this, but Mr. Ingles rendered his ac- 
count, stating merely the balance his books called 
for, I have returned him his papers to have an ac- 
count of the stores particularly stated he has been 
counting. 

The nitre, sulphur, lead, he. stored in the 
cellars at the arsenal fill them entirely, but there 
is room sufficient in the stores now built to contain 
all the property at present on hand. 

I am. Sir, 

with great respect, 

your most obedient servant, 

CALLENDEU IRVINE. 

General Henry Dearborn, 
Secretary of IVar, 



ESTIMATE 



ron COMPLEl ING THE 



SOUTH WING OF THE ARSENAL, 



THE BANK 



RIVER SCHUYLKILL. 



Ii?ennj3|)li)ania» 



Accuiiipaiiyiiif;- u letter fVoni the SccreUiry of Wan 
received the 15th of February, 1805. 



AN ESriMA TE for fnishiug the south 7viiio- of the arsenal 
en the banks of Schuylkill^ near Philadelphia : levelinq-, 
pnvi.'n^^y graveling, and regulating the zvhole lot ; erecting 
a fence round the same, and repairing the stores already 
kiiilt. 

THE SOUTH WING. 

This building is now ready for the 
i^round floor, and on a careful exam- 
ination, I find a quantity of the car- 
penters' •work is partly prepared. 
There is on hand some stuff, and 
sundry materials which will be of 
use, but in such a deranged state, 
that their positive value cannot be 



at this time justly ascertained; how- 
ever, taking all these things into 
consideration, I am of opinion that 
14,786 dollars, will finish this build- 
ing in a manner similar to the north 
wing. Plaistering the first and se- 
cond story, and paving round the 
building - . - - 14,786 

PAVING, GRAVELING, REGULA- 

TING THE LOT, &c. 
834 feet curb stone, from 

road to west side of west 

buildinff ... 417 
834 feet gutters, 1 foot wide, 

from ditto to ditto - 122 
1392'feet gutters, 2 feet wide, 

west side of west building, 

to arsenal - - - 407 83 

700 feet gutters, 4 feet wide, 

from the breast works down 

to the river - - 410 50 

360 feet gutters, 1.^ foot wide 

on each side of the road 

leading down to the river 79 20 

150 feet gutters, 2 feet wide, 

from east building to great 

road - - - - 43 56 

1042 feet pavement, round 

three buildings, 5 feet wide 382 24 
214 feet of pavement, 6] feet 

wide, from east corner of 

north building, to great 

road - - - 102 96 

1908 feet of capping, for walls 1,441 
Suppose for regulating the 

ground, graveling the roads 

"&c. - -' - 1,000 



4,406 34 



8 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



003 169 139 4 



ERECTING A FENCE ROUND THE 
WHOLE LOT. 

850 feet of a stone wall, on 

an average 7 feet high, by 

26 inches at the founcla- 

tion, and 18 inches at the 

top, for the supporting the 

shelving banks - - ],308 

Digging the foundation for 

the wall - . . 50 

850 feet of capping for this 

wall, of cedar plank - 442 

2252 feet of a substantial post 

and rail fence of white oak, 

boarded upright, and the 

tops of the boards pointed, 

with a large gateway at the 

wharf, including all ma- 
terials - - , 1,020 

-^ 2,820 

REPAIRING THE STORES ALREA- 
DY BUILT. 

Repairs for the north wing, viz. 

Steps to go down to the 

cellar, painting the portico, 

and two iron doors for the 

fire proof room in the west 

wing 
Repairing the roofs of the 

east and west wings, which 

leak exceedingly - 800 



104 60 



904 60 



Dollars, 22,916 94 



Philadelphia, 4th Feb. 1805. 

Gen. Henry Dearborn, 
Secretary of War. 



Conservation Resource;* 
Lig-Free® Type I 
Ph 8.5, Buffered 



